The Annual Corn Exchange Drama Festival. The best of local amateur drama live on stage with professional adjudication and awards for the best performances and performers.This is the 35th Wallingford Corn Exchange Drama Festival, one of several festivals in the region where you can see amateur dramatics at its best and hear and learn from a professional adjudicator about acting. Each group is given 1 hour to build their set, perform their play and strike the set. There will be two plays each night and an adjudication at the end. And on the Friday night the winners and prizes will be announced including a punters’ prize that audience members can award. This year Alan M. Hayes from the Guild of Drama Adjudicators will be judging. Alan’s professional training was at Italia Conti Stage School, followed by a B.Ed. (Honours) in Drama and Education. He has acted in theatre, television and radio, and directed more than 100 stage performances.

This years’ entries are:

Tues 9th June – Sinodun Players with Death Knock by Mike Rowbottom; and Drayton Players with Bankers Gone Bananas by Sue Hadley.

Weds 10th June – Branching Out Drama Society with Don’t Panic by John Drew; and The Compton Players with The House With The Lights Still On by Pete Watt.

Thurs 11th June – Banbury Cross Players with A Handbag by Anthony Horowitz; and Abingdon Drama Club with Sganarelle by Molière.

Fri 12th June – HAODS with The Tussington Paradox by Julie Huntington; and Henley Players with I Can’t Remember Anything by Arthur Miller.

Supermodel Kate Moss, embarks on a journey of self discovery when acclaimed artist Lucian Freud offers to paint her picture. For Moss, her life tumultuous and unpredictable, the sessions provided solace, an eye in the hurricane. And Freud through his searching, exploring conversational style – was able to find the vulnerabilities that lay just beneath the surface of Moss’s very public life. Freud became a wise and witty teacher and Moss brought out a paternal streak in him, perhaps lacking with some of his own progeny. Ironically, neither Moss nor Freud particularly loved the finished portrait, completed in 2002, though the art world did. It sold in auction in 2005 for £3.5m. It was never about money for the

pair. Instead they forged a special friendship based upon a sense of profound connection and the end result - a bond of love and mutual respect. A story about two huge personalities sizing each other up, a rapport/attraction, an exchange in life experience, lessons learnt and reflection, a painting in progress, outside pressures and, finally, a baby in utero. Using Kate Moss herself as our central storyteller and narrator, our film is a charming and revealing bio-pic full of incongruity, contrasts, connection, warmth, humour and surprise.

In 2001 Kate Moss is painted by Lucian Freud, widely regarded as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. If Moss thought it was to be a casual affair, taking a short period of time, she was sorely mistaken; Freud beats to the rhythm of his very own drum. In an interview Moss, when asked what she learnt from the experience, stated “discipline”.

From the rise of the Jackson 5 to the global spectacle of the Bad tour, Michael charts the life of one of music’s most iconic and complex figures. Driven by extraordinary talent and relentless ambition, Michael Jackson’s journey unfolds against a backdrop of fame, family control and personal struggle. As he breaks records and reshapes popular culture, he also fights to define himself beyond the expectations placed upon him. Anchored by a central performance from Jaafar Jackson, the film offers a sweeping portrait of creativity, pressure and the cost of becoming a legend in the glare of the world’s attention.

From child star to global icon, Michael traces the rise of Michael Jackson through fame, family and personal struggle. A sweeping portrait of creativity and ambition, centred on a standout performance from Jaafar Jackson, capturing the making of a legend.

“Armed with plenty of heart and some lovingly textured performances” - Variety

Three sisters reunite for their mother’s wedding, where old tensions and buried emotions resurface. A warm, gently comic drama about family, memory and the complicated bonds between mothers and daughters.

Three sisters return to their childhood home for the wedding of their twice-widowed mother, bringing with them very different lives, perspectives and unresolved tensions. As preparations unfold, old rivalries, buried grief and long-held misunderstandings resurface, forcing each of them to confront the past and their changing relationship with their mother. Balancing warmth, humour and emotional honesty, My Mother’s Wedding explores family dynamics, memory and the fragile bonds that hold people together. With a strong ensemble cast, it offers a reflective and gently comic portrait of love, loss and the complicated ties between mothers and daughters.

“Early reactions say ‘charming,’ ‘genuinely heartwarming’ and ‘destined to be a massive hit’” - Variety

Miranda Priestly faces a changing fashion world as Andy returns to Runway and Emily rises in power. The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers sharp wit, shifting alliances and plenty of behind the scenes drama.

The world of high fashion returns as Miranda Priestly faces a rapidly changing media landscape that threatens the future of Runway magazine. Andy Sachs is drawn back into the orbit she once escaped, now navigating her own ambitions within the industry. As former assistant Emily rises to power on the corporate side, alliances shift and old dynamics are tested in new ways. Balancing sharp wit with industry insight, The Devil Wears Prada 2 follows familiar faces as they juggle careers, egos and a fashion world that refuses to stand still.